The present disclosure relates to the field of hybrid databases, and, more particularly, to a query system for a geospatial hybrid database that stores feature characteristics and volumetric attributes.
A geographic information system (GIS), or geographical information system captures, stores, analyzes, manages, and presents data that are linked to location. GISs represent a merging of cartography and database technologies. GIS databases record information using raster and vector based methodologies. Traditional GIS databases maintain records and record specific attributes in a vector based manner. That is, a set of discrete records for GIS objects are maintained. Attributes for these records are indexed against these discrete objects, in accordance with standard database techniques. For example, records of a traditional GIS database are indexed and normalized, often in third normal form (3NF).
Conventional GIS systems can store information in a raster and a vector based manner. In these systems, raw non-indexed visual data (e.g., raster based images) are typically maintained in a GIS as binary large objects (BLOB). Each BLOB generally represents a unique intelligence product that has been received. Analytics are performed against each BLOB. For example, a satellite image map can be converted to a vector structure by identifying adjacent cells with similar characteristics such as color intensity, generating vector regions for these cells, then converting regions into point, linear, or arial features. It is generally believed that there is a fundamental incompatibility between raster and vector based storage methodologies, which requires a GIS to be able to convert data from one structure to another. Specifically, data that is to be indexed and searched based on semantics is generally converted from a raster based storage format to a vector based one.
Conventional wisdom regarding vector based storage formats is that they require significant less overall storage space, are simpler to update and maintain than raster based storage, and that vector based storage allows for more analysis capability than raster based storage mechanisms. It is believed, as will be described herein, conventional wisdom assumptions regarding vector based storage benefits versus raster based storage are mistaken.